For retention of air vented fuel or gas, which is excelled during the refueling process of fixed fuel or gas tanks in a pleasure or commercial vessel. Most all fuel tanks are vented over the side of the vessel; hence when the tank is near fill, it starts to expel fuel or gas over the side of the boat into the water. It is a hazard to the environment, also a danger to human life and property. The U.S. Coast Guard has seen fit to impose large fines to deter this from happening. But there are still large amounts of fuel being spilled into our waterways, lakes and oceans from the same process of filing tanks every day. Much of this same fuel or gas can be seen on our waters as its film spreads and its rainbow effects can be seen and smelled from some distance away. People who go to sea want to be assured their fuel tanks are fill, so when the fuel comes to the top of their tanks, and spills fuel out of the fuel air vent, they will repeat the process, spilling more fuel into the water. Seldom will this fuel be retrieved with sorbent pads without an official nearby. Nor will the person turn himself in or the fuel attendant turn his customer into the proper officials. At this point the government may have it cleaned at the tax payer's expense.
Prior art to address this problem has been submitted by William D. Burt. This device attaches to the side of a vessel with a suction cup around a type of fuel air vent exhaust. Not all fuel air vent exhausts are fashioned in this manner. Some blow straight out of the side a vessel. In some cases, there are multiple fuel air vent exhausts side by side. While still other vents are not accessible by hand while on the vessel or on the dock.
There is also prior art submitted by Manin R. Petersen. Here again, the unit must be applied and removed by physical contact. When this unit is placed on the side of the vessel and left there, there will be a problem of a protruding object off the vertical plane when a vessel comes along side a fixed dock with pylons. The docking process could rip these units from the side of the vessel and cause property dames and/or fuel contamination to the area in question.
These applications are designed for fuel air vents within one's own reach and fail to take in to consideration the full scope of pre-existing placements of fuel air vents on board vessels to date. These fuel air vents are located on many different areas of the vertical plane. Their placement is dictated by design and maximum efficiency to suck in and blow out air for proper propulsion and refueling.